This section is intended to introduce various aspects of the art, which may be associated with exemplary embodiments of the present techniques. This discussion is believed to assist in providing a framework to facilitate a better understanding of particular aspects of the present techniques. Accordingly, it should be understood that this section should be read in this light, and not necessarily as admissions of prior art.
The assessment of pipelines in a production facility is an important aspect related to maintenance and operational concerns. Pipeline failures and other integrity issues may have an impact on production capacity, operational costs, and environmental factors, among other issues. Internal and external issues, such as material defects, external damage, or intrusions, may be the cause of integrity failures.
Visual inspection of a pipeline is one technique used to search for the existence of integrity failures. The visual inspection may include observing visible features, such as cracks, in the pipeline that may indicate potential distress or existing damage. Visual inspection may require an understanding of the type of cracks that may occur during normal operations as opposed to the type of cracks that may indicate pre-stress or distress in the pipeline. Thus, an experienced person who is accustomed to determining whether an issue is caused by normal wear or an integrity failure may conduct a visual inspection.
If visual inspection and/or monitoring is not feasible, or would be problematic for other reasons, the presence of an integrity failure may be identified by the use of fiber optic technology, among other methods. For example, fiber optic probes may be driven into the soil near the location of the pipeline, attached to the pipeline, or placed adjacent to the pipeline for the detection of integrity failures associated with the pipeline.
For pipelines in an offshore environment, such as in offshore oil and gas production, fiber optic cables may be attached to the pipeline to monitor for structural or functional issues associated with the pipeline. The fiber optic cable may be deployed during installation of a pipeline or deployed after the installation of the pipeline. Using temperature/acoustic vibrations sensing techniques, the fiber optic cable may detect leakage, ground movement, spans, and intrusions upon the pipeline. However, fiber optic cables may easily be damaged during the installation or placement of a pipeline.